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Beautiful, panoramic and mystical, the reflections of the spectacular Changchenmo range shimmering in the ever-changing blues of the lake's water, the serenity and tranquility of which deserves a standing ovation - This is what we call as Pangong Tso. It is one of those places that can be listed as "See before you die".

The huge lake is more like a land locked sea, only one third of which is in India and the rest lies in Tibet (controlled by China). The lake thus, is not just an epitome of beauty, it also has a geopolitical importance. Sitting by the lake though, you would long that it was not divided by political borders. It is one of those rare places that remains etched in the memory forever.

Day 7, July 5th 2014, Saturday : We started from Leh after breakfast, passed Shey and Thiksey Monastery on the way, and were soon at Karu. We took a break there to stock food and water in the car. From Karu, one needs to take the left road that leads to Shakti, probably another 10 kms from there. The ascent to Changa La, the third highest pass in the world, starts from there.

The roads are good and hence, the drive was good, except for the last few kilometers before the summit, where the road becomes more and more steep.

The pass has a temple called the 'Chang La Baba ka Mandir', Army cabins and a cafe, where we had refreshing masala tea. Chang La is the gateway to the Changthang region of Ladakh.

After the descent, Tsoltak is the first village we crossed. Few minutes after passing Tsoltak, we spotted a frozen lake on our right. We were surprised, considering the month was July.

Soon came Durbuk and then Tangtse, where we stopped for lunch. The road all the way from Tangtse is fantastic, though we did encounter few streams running through the road at places, where we took small off-road detours.

After several minutes, we saw an expanse of bright blue peeking at us from between the mountains. The first glimpse of Pangong Tso is a sight I'll never forget in life. But it was impossible to even imagine the magnitude of the lake from there.

First view of Pangong Tso

As we drive 4 km downhill towards the lake, the sheer size of it becomes more and more evident. By now we had got used to the dry lunar landscape of Ladakh. The sight of the unending expanse of bright blue shocked us.

The first place you will pass as soon as you are near the shore is the army camp at Lukung. From here till Spangmik, the road is merely stone filled dirt track. Spangmik is the last village till where foreigners can go with an inner line permit.

At one point Dorjay, our driver, took a turn towards the sandy shore and drove till what he called the shooting point.

This particular stretch was made famous by the movie '3 Idiots' where Kareena Kapoor drives the scooty on the narrow ramp of sand. This is the place many of those movie-influenced tourists visit Pangong Tso for. They spend time here and then head back to Leh on the same day. But that was not our agenda.

Pangong is brackish in nature, and thus with hardly any vegetation on the shore except for some coastal scrubs and grasses that we later spotted near our camps. There is no aquatic life either, apart from some small crustaceans (according to all the sites including Wikipedia). However we didn't spot any in the transparent water near the shore. We did spot plenty of gulls though, floating on the lake. One moment they were on the surface and the next moment they took flight, making me click the picture that is at the beginning of this post.

Pangong Tso is a photographer's ultimate delight. We were at the ramp for about 30-45 minutes taking in the glorious view all around and clicking pictures - as many as the memory card could hold. We were mesmerized by the shades of the blue water. One moment it was azure, the next turquoise and next indigo... and so on...

From there we again drove on stones and boulders to reach Camp Watermark at Spangmik, where we were to spend the night. We fell in love with our camps as soon as we saw them. Nestled right on the shores of the lake, this would be your best choice for a night stay at Pangong Tso. We were given the last three camps and hence we never compromised on the privacy part. The camps are made of canvas and the floors are covered with jute carpet to provide warmth. Each camp has an attached bathroom with cold running water. The beds had thick blankets and a hot water bag under each blanket - just perfect!

While everyone else headed to the canteen tent for a steaming cup of tea or coffee, I headed towards the lake. There I had a first-time experience. I was so spellbound by it, that I lost track of time. I sat on a rock and gazed at the lake - as far as my eyes could take me. I have never seen something so magical and beautiful. 'Pangong Tso' means 'long, narrow, enchanting lake' and it's aptly called that, because it put me in a trance like state. It churned up so much emotions inside me that I felt like spending my entire life there.

I don't know how long I have been missing, but when my friends finally found me they didn't disturb my silence. Instead they occupied a nearby spot and started admiring the lake - their way. It was the sound of their loud 'whoa's and 'wow's, that brought me back.

Later me and Akki were challenged by the others to stand knee deep in the chilling Pangong water for as long as we can (minimum being 2 minutes). We could bear the bone chilling cold water well past 2 minutes, but it did have a long lasting effect even after we stepped out. The good one - the water had some moisturizing effect on my feet. The bad one - I was shivering all night!

The shore near Camp Watermark

The dinner was served before the sun went down. It was a veg buffet, but the hot tomato soup in the cold made up for it.

We all agreed to pay Rs. 2000 for a bonfire (as charged) after a small debate within ourselves. As we were 6 people, it was costing us around 300 each. And you don't get to sit around a bonfire on the shores of Pangong every night. That did it!

Last shot of Pangong before the Sun went down

And do I even have to tell you it was one hell of an experience! At 10 p.m. the generator was switched off. Except for the area lit by our bonfire, it was pitch darkness all around and countless stars above us. I have had a similar experience in Rann of Kutch. It is only in a place plunged in pitch darkness, where you can spot the countless stars and constellations in the sky above. Intoxification on top of intoxification!

As our bonfire started to go out, we realized how shivering cold it was. We had to find our way to the tent in the eerie darkness as we had left our torches in there. The cold was making my teeth chatter and legs shake. I slept with all the sweaters and jacket on that night, along with the blankets and the hot water bag.

Day 8, July 6th 2014, Sunday : Within just a few hours, I woke up feeling too warm and took the layers off. The tent was like a glowing orange orb. It took me some time to figure out that the sunrise at 4:30 a.m. has caused this. SUNday indeed!!! Unable to sleep in the orange glow, I walked out... in a tee - such was the temperature difference.

It was only 6 a.m. when I walked back to the lake. I realized the lake is in its best of blue hues only when the sun is properly overhead in a cloudless sky. You might get a little disappointed if you go there on a cloudy day.

We checked out from our camps after tea and breakfast.

Leaving Pangong was a heart-wrenching experience, so much that it left me in tears. I had asked our driver what the stone towers erected in many places in Ladakh meant. He said locals put them up in prayer. And I thought why not...

I left my own prayer stones overlooking Pangong Tso, praying that she stays ever beautiful, ever enchanting, untouched by the destructive way of the world.

Whoever you ask about Nubra Valley or wherever you read about Nubra Valley, all would say one common thing about it - "Mountains, Deserts, River - all in one place!" And that's what it is - an unparalleled combo of nature. But before reaching that fairy tale valley, you'll have to brave the Khardung La - the (controversially) Highest Motorable Road in the world.

Day 5, July 3rd, 2014, Thursday : It is a bad weather day - predicted AccuWeather. And accurate prediction it was. It started raining as soon as we started from Leh in the morning. We checked out from Hotel Panorama and drove through Yurthung road and then Sankar road to reach the Khardung La road. On the way we passed Sankar Gompa, where we could not stop as it was becoming more and more obvious it was going to be a dangerous journey to Khardung La on this day.

When we reached South Pullu, the first check post, we queued up in a long line of vehicles. At first we assumed it was a routine check, then we realized something is wrong and then the news reached us - The road to Khardung La is closed for the day due to a bad landslide a few hairpin turns ahead. It was devastating. The worst was the disheartened look on the fellow travelers' faces all around. There were many who were on a packed schedule like us. Many would have done non-refundable bookings at Nubra valley.

If there were a 100 cars there, almost 90 turned back and headed back to Leh. We waited, along with a handful of bikers and travelers who were in the remaining cars - people like us, who clinge to 'Hope'. We had maggi at the wet canteen, clicked pictures, spoke with the Siachen Brigade officers, made friends with a dog and a yak and this way spent 4 hours, when the Army finally signaled opening of the road. And road it was not!

The road to South Pullu was good. From there it's merely a dirt track, good enough to drive by on a normal day probably. On this day it was extremely dangerous. We had just taken 2 turns, when the army stopped us again. In midst of 'what happened's, and 'fir kya ho gaya yaar's, we realized Army has stopped the cars so that one of their trucks can pass from the opposite side. The truck was carrying back dead bodies of 5 Indian Army personnels. That experience was like a blow right on the face. People bowed in respect...

When we started back again, there was pin drop silence in the car, except for the non-stop freaked out chatter of our driver who kept saying - 'Madamji, aise weather me gaadi aage nahi lete hai' (you don't drive ahead in such a weather). But I am someone who never turns back, come what may.

Seeing the above pictures, a friend had commented it looked like Oreo shake. Now that's what happens if you keep the child in you alive - throughout! Our spirits rose and rose as we drove towards Khardung La. There were prayer flags, even in the Oreo landscape, fluttering and sending prayers to the far off heaven. And the view of the snowy valley from above - unmatched!

Khardung La is the gateway to Siachen Glacier - the highest battlefield in the world.

So we were finally at Khardung La!!! What a feat to achieve! 18380 feet - that's not a joke! Even the number of prayer flags increased - may be because the distance to heaven was closer? During the brief time we stayed there, we had a snow fight, clicked proud '18,380 feet' pictures and well... used the military toilets - now can I call it one of the highest toilets in the world? :P Also, our French friend Jeremy told us if we made it to the Nubra Valley from there, he'll learn the Indian National Anthem (provided I teach him of course).

The way down was also slushy - all thanks to the rain! But all the way from South Pullu till here, we have been waving and shouting Thank You to the BRO road workers who were working hard in these harsh conditions so that people can pass. These people are great men - only that they are not appreciated enough, nor is their name scripted anywhere for people to remember.

By 5 p.m. we descended to North Pullu and stopped for maggi and tea there. I had observed the roads were very good from here and we were short of time. I ordered double maggi for our driver Dorjay. Once he was full and happy, I asked him what's the speed limit here (I know many of you wouldn't approve of it!). He understood and just gave me a wicked grin! And so he sped, and he sped so much that within minutes, ours was the only car in vicinity.

We were finally in Nubra Valley - the high altitude cold desert that was once a part of the Silk Route from South to Central Asia. At Khalsar, the road forks into two. The left leads to Diskit/Hunder/Turtuk and the right to Sumur and Panamik and also Siachen base camp (where tourists cannot go due to obvious reasons). We decided to skip Sumur (which has the Sumur Monastery) and Panamik (which has a hot sulphur spring) and turned left.

As we drove by the Shyok river, we could already see the 106 foot tall Maitreya Buddha on top of a hill, although we were still a quite few kilometers away from Diskit. This is the landmark of Nubra Valley.

Diskit Monastery is the largest and oldest monastery in Nubra Valley. Apart from that fact, the main reason why people visit Diskit is because of this tall and mesmerizing statue of Maitreya Buddha. The statue which was consecrated by Dalai Lama in 2010, faces towards Pakistan and was built to promote world peace and to prevent further war with the neighboring country.

We could see the entire Shyok valley from top as we stopped there to unwind after a day of crazy travel. The next stop was the Snow Leopard guest house at Hunder. We asked the manager to arrange for a bonfire after dinner, which the friendly guy was happy to arrange, in spite of lack of dry firewood after the day long rain.

Day 6, July 4th 2014, Friday : Imagine waking up to the above view - Heavenly! If I quit my corporate job - this would be the inspiration. Setting aside the ramblings of my mad mind, I finished breakfast with the others, checked out and soon we were driving on a plain leading to the Hunder Sand Dunes. It was a sight to behold as we crossed a stream, walked on the desert sand and wherever we turned our head, we could see towering mountains.

Just for experience's sake, we took the Bactrian camel ride. The camels moved in a line one after another (of course they were tied in that manner) and the last one kept chewing on Akarshan's shoes, who was riding the second last camel. The shoes were Woodland camel leather ones and we don't know if that had anything to do with the live camel's interest in the shoe, Akarshan did believe that theory of mine.

Nubra is the only place in India where you'll find double humped camels. That doesn't mean you have to ride between those humps. The camels are under fed and poorly treated and if you feel as bad as I did, head for the sand dunes instead. You can have immense amount of fun there, as we did. By the time we were back in the car, we were all calling each other Sandy.

All the cars heading back to Leh were stopped once again by the Army at a place before Khalsar. It was here that I met a handsome Indian Army guy. I had thought such kinds appear only in J.P. Dutta's movie.

The block was only for 30 minutes - unfortunate for my probable love story with the Army guy whose name I forgot to ask. When the roads were opened, it was again like a race - a race to the top of the mountain! And we won again, thanks to Dorjay, who had by now become infected by our infectious madness.

There was hardly any trace of snow at Khardung La and we saw some bikers posing bare-chested in front of the highest motorable road sign post. It made us think is it the same place we passed yesterday teeth chattering, breathing hard for oxygen and risking our lives??

Left : Spot the cars to feel the magnitude of the mountains; Middle : A straight road in the Nubra Valley
Right Top : The Indian Army dude; Right Bottom : And that's me clicking you :)

For your Information -

Permits are not required for Indian tourists effective from May 1, 2014. Foreign tourists still require an inner line permit which can be arranged by any travel agent in Leh.

Weather is highly unstable at Khardung La. Keep food and water in car. It would help in case you get stranded.

Turtuk is a picturesque village ahead of Hunder, very near to the Pakistan border. Do visit it if you can. We could not as we ran short of time and I really repent it.

So we were finally at the heart of Ladakh - LEH!! Dead tired and yet excited after a superb roadtrip through Srinagar-Leh Highway, it was time to acclimatize to the 11500 feet of Leh.

Day 4, 2nd July 2014, Wednesday : After half a day of acclimatization, we decided to walk out of Hotel Panorama (where we had checked in the previous night) and walk to Leh market. We got hold of a travel agent on the way to get Jeremy - our French friend's inner line permits for Pangong, Nubra Valley and Tso Moriri. Thanks to this post on www.devilonwheels.com, we knew Indians don't need permit for these restricted areas effective from May 2014. We do need to carry a valid photo ID nationality proof though.

Leh is small enough to walk most places. But our hotel was at Upper Changspa road and the market was quite a walk from there, but since it was downhill we didn't face much of a problem. The main bazaar was bustling with activities and there were more than the usual number of tourists around, considering Kalachakra was happening at Choglamsar from 3-14th of July and it was being presided by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama.

We headed to Gesmo on Old Fort road for lunch (Highly recommended!). While heading out from there, we spotted the Leh Palace in the distance, nestled on a hill.

While 3 of us headed back to the hotel, myself and the other two - Jeremy and Akarshan, decided to attempt a climb. This is highly NOT recommended before acclimatizing!

We had to ask the locals to find a way to this former Palace of the King of Ladakh. We walked through the narrow alleys behind the mosque in the market. This was the old part of the town. We passed compact mud brick houses, built congestedly next to each other and probably forgotten by time long back. It was easy to find the way as there were signboards put up after every few steps. After a much zigzaging route, we reached a flight of stairs that led us directly to the palace.

We entered the ruined palace after paying an entrance fee of Rs. 100 (and begging for water there). The nine storeyed palace was built by King Sengge Namgyal in the 17th century. Most of the corridors were dark and spooky, but we somehow found our way to the roof. The views from there were spectacular.

Leh Palace

That's when we spotted Castle Tsemo and Namgyal Gompa at a further height. It was the highest point of Leh. We wanted to attempt the climb but it was our first day at Leh. But then again we were crazy people!

We descended till the start of the trail for Castle Tsemo and started walking up. We understood we have underestimated the climb after few steps. The climb was steep!

As we were finally near the castle, we spotted a narrow cliff protruding towards the right. We walked cautiously on the ridge till we were at its farthest tip. The view from there was breathtaking. We got a 360 degree view of the surrounding - Stok Kangi peak in the distance, the entire of Leh old city, Old fort road, Main bazaar, Castle Tsemo on higher grounds, the Shanti Stupa and even a distant mountain desert. There were thousands of prayer flags on that cliff, fluttering in the breeze and sending prayers to the heaven perhaps.

We then made our way to Castle Tsemo, also called the victory castle, as it was built to celebrate the victory of Ladakh over the Balti Kashmir armies in the early 16th century. Above the castle, is the Namgyal Gompa. The red temple at the lower level houses a goddess and the white temple above houses a huge Maitreya Buddha. The more we went up the views became more rewarding. Now we could even see the entire Changspa region to the northwest - the new part of the Leh town where many guesthouses have come up in recent times for backpackers.

Reaching the summit can be quite strenuous. We walked through the steep steps of the Namgyal Gompa. After one point there were no steps, we either used ladders or just scrambled our way up. And finally when we were standing at the top point of the Namgyal Gompa, the feel was unbeatable. The 'Top of Leh' was conquered!!!

Throughout the climb, we never encountered another Indian. There were few foreigners we met on the way up and rest were monks. We descended through a different route at the back of the Gompa, that lead us to a road behind the mosque. We soon found our way through the narrow alleys and came out near the mosque. We passed the Soma Gompa, as we made our way to the Main Bazar. The place was crowded with Kalachakra registrations going on.

The Main Bazaar has numerous shops selling souvenirs like Tibetan prayer wheels, prayer flags, customized Leh-Ladakh t-shirts, woolens and what not. We were tired and worn out, so we walked to Changspa road in search of a restaurant called Bon Appetit. I had read about in on Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet and Outlook Traveller. I normally don't review restaurants but this one deserves it as we like it so much that it eventually became our regular joint for the rest of the days or nights we spent as Leh between our travels to places like Nubra Valley or Pangong Tso.

Done in Ladakhi minimalist architecture, Bon Appetit is probably the best restaurant in Leh, offering a panoramic view of the mountains. In fact, this place can give even a roof top restaurant of any metro city a run for their money. Here is an excerpt from Outlook Traveller about Bon Appetit -

"This is as fine as dining gets in Leh. And before you think that’s a backhanded compliment, let me hasten to add that were we to transplant this sprawling wood and glass dining room with an equally generous patio for candlelit dinners to Delhi or Mumbai, with or without the barley fields and the craggy edges of the mountains in the distance, several high priests of haute cuisine would run for cover."

The catch is how to find this place. It is not to be confused with the Bon Appetit on Old Fort road, that is beside Dolphin Bakery. This one is hidden inside a lane on Changspa road, opposite Moravian Mission School.

We reached Bon Appetit around 6 p.m. and sat outside relishing Kashmiri Kahwas. After an amazing sunset and the growing cold, we moved indoors - inside the glass - and ordered their thin crust pizza, the honey mustard chicken and penne with lemon butter and tuna. The food was delectable and so was their Jungle tea, prepared with cinnamon, cardamom, honey and rum.

We walked back to our hotel basking in the glory of climbing the top point of Leh and finding a place like Bon Appetit. The next day was a big day - we would be driving to Nubra Valley, via Khardung La - the world's highest motorable road!*****************************************************************************

This is the 2nd in a series of 7 posts documenting 14 days of our travel to Ladakh. You can also read:

It would be unfair to document a Ladakh trip in one post. This is the first in the series of 6 posts that I would do, documenting the entire 15 days of our travel to Ladakh.

It is a dream road trip for travelers around the world, a lifetime experience, when one covers both the Srinagar-Leh and the Leh-Manali highway while entering and exiting Ladakh.

The Srinagar-Leh highway, of course, provides a gradual ascent, helping the body to acclimatize properly to the altitude of Leh and in fighting any chances of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). Arriving at Leh through this route is always advisable than taking the Manalli-Leh route which causes altitude sickness to most, due to its sudden ascent. Also, if you have not traveled from Srinagar to Leh by road, you have missed one of the most beautiful routes of India - Hands down!

I had been planning a full circuit Ladakh road trip for eons. But the circumstances every year were so adverse that I had started to think Ladakh is jinxed for me. But one day everything fell into place. I contacted a friend who had experienced similar failed attempts to travel to Ladakh. He contacted another friend of his. She contacted a few more. And in this way, we were 6 people meeting at Delhi airport on 29th of June 2014 for our flight to Srinagar.

Day 1, 29th June 2014, Sunday : Our Ladakhi driver bailed on us at Srinagar airport. He couldn't make it there due to some permit issues of Ladakh number plate. Srinagar airport is heavily guarded and the guards constantly interrogated us about our missing driver, whom we could connect to only after half an hour as only one of our phones had signal.

After fixing a meeting with our driver for the evening, we took a prepaid to Dal lake (Charges - Rs. 600 for an SUV). Nishar bhai, the driver of the cab took us to Shikara ghat no. 17 and referred us to Dongola Palace houseboat, where we bargained the 3 bedroom houseboat for Rs. 3000 for the night. We paid an extra Rs. 500 per person for dinner and asked Riyaz, the owner's son to prepare some Kashmiri non-vegeterian food, which he happily agreed to arrange.

We took a Shikara ride in the evening in the beautiful Dal lake. The shikaras are colorful and can comfortably fit 4 people and Riyaz didn't even charge us for the ride.

Clockwise from top : A shikara on Dal lake, Dinner at houseboat, Dal lake at night, Houseboats lined up next to each other, View from Dongola Palace

The Shikara dropped us at Ghat No. 17 after sunset as we wanted to try some Kashmiri kababs. We had some yummy seekh kababs at a nearby restaurant. Back at Ghat 17, we met our driver Mr. Haji. Once he left, we had to wait at the ghat for a long time as all the Shikara guys had gone for Azan. If you wish to travel back and forth from your houseboat freely, check into one that has a road access.

The dinner was served as soon as we were back at the houseboat and it was delicious. The menu had Dum Oluv (Dum Aloo), Lyodur Tschaman (Paneer) and Mutton Roganjosh with rice and roti. We later got to know that it was the first day of Ramzan and while we gorged on all the food prepared by Riyaz, he and his family were on fast till the wee hours of next morning. We spent few hours marveling at the far away lights on the ghat reflecting on the mirror-like Dal lake and chatting with Riyaz, before we hit the bed.

Day 2, 30th June 2014, Monday : As per Haji's advice, we checked out very early in the morning. Everyone traveling on Srinagar-Leh highway prefer crossing the Sonamarg-Zozila stretch as early as possible due to the chances of trucks causing traffic jams in that route. By 7 a.m., we were at the Shikara ghat with all our luggage. Haji tucked them one by one in the overhead carrier and secured them with a rope. Once we were seated, he flew. Yes, almost that. And so started the first leg of our road trip on the Srinagar-Leh Highway, or the National Highway 1D.We passed a check post at Kangan and stopped for breakfast at a dhaba by the side of the Sind river. Our next stop was after an hour or so at the beginning of Sonamarg, where we stopped to click some pictures of the beautiful valley.

Our happiness was short-lived. All vehicles except those of Amarnath yatris were stopped at Sonamarg by the Army and we were told we won't be allowed to pass before 2 p.m. And it was just 11 a.m. then! It was a major blow. To waste 3 hours on such a route is unthinkable. We even thought of feigning devotion, saying 'Bum bum bole' and pass, but apparently Amarnath yatris carry some documents of proof which we obviously didn't have. With no options left, we waited, had beer that we were carrying with us and then lunch at one of the restaurants in the Sonamarg market. Sharp at 2 p.m., the army guy signaled opening of the road.

We spotted Baltal valley from top where thousands of Amarnath pilgrims have put up camps. As we started ascending towards Zoji La, the landscape changed drastically. The green Sindh valley gave way to a much arid landscape. The roads became dusty and at places, non-existent. To that, added the woe of crossing flocks of sheep that needed to walk on the road as much as we needed to drive on it. What followed was lot of honking and bickering with the shepherd until he moved the sheep so that the cars could pass. We drove through glacier melts at several places that were flowing right across the already treacherous road.

Clockwise from Top Left : Sonamarg, Dusty road to Zozila, Shepherd and his Sheep, Glacier melts at Zozila

After much ado, we reached Zozi La - finally!!! 'La' means Pass, hence it would be wrong to say Zozila Pass. At an altitiude of 11,649 ft, it is the second highest mountain pass on Srinagar-Leh highway and connects Kashmir valley with Ladakh. And of course, we had to stop there for some pictures. There we got our first hit of altitude sickness - a feel of blood rushing to our heads.

Post Zozila, we were welcomed to Ladakh by a signboard on the right side of the road. The road started to improve once we crossed the Zozi La stretch and the landscape became harsh and arid. We had tea at Gumri and continued our journey.

Dras Valley, after crossing Zozi La

Dras is the first village that we passed after Zozi La. Dras is known for 3 reasons -

1) For being the second coldest inhabited place in the world, after Siberia. We didn't have to put on extra layers of sweaters and jackets though. That welcome board from J&K tourism claiming the severe cold holds true only during the winters.

2) This quaint little village had experienced heavy shelling by the Pakistani army during the Kargil War, until India recaptured the surrounding peaks and Kargil. To commemorate the victory and the Indian Army soldiers who laid their lives during the war, Dras War Memorial was built by the Indian Army here, at the foothills of Tololing Hill where the Battle of Tololing was fought. The memorial, which is also known as Vijay Path, has a sandstone wall which has names of all the Indian Army martyrs of Kargil war, a Pak sentry post captured at Tiger hill, a Pak living bunker captured at Tololing, a giant Indian flag at the foot of Tololing, a real fighter jet, a cafeteria and a souvenir shop. We could even see Tiger hill from a distance.

3) Dras is also known as the 'Gateway to Ladakh'.

Dras War Memorial; Bottom (mid) : Tiger Hill

After crossing Dras, we saw small patches of terraced cultivation on both sides of the road. That was the first 'green' thing we had spotted after long. At times, the landscape resembled a gorge with the Dras river flowing beside the road. Within an hour, we reached Kargil and started our hunt for a hotel or a guest house, since we were staying the night there.

NH 1D after crossing Dras... Approaching Kargil

Kargil is a transit town, where most people travelling from Srinagar to Leh halt at night. Very few prefer to stay at Dras too due to the availability of vegetarian food there. We attempted to book rooms at the J&K Tourism Dak bungalow which are dirt cheap, but we found it completely booked for the night. Our driver who was from Kargil helped us get a room at Hotel Jan Palace in a discounted rate of Rs. 1500. Even though Kargil is a small town, the prices of accommodation and food can be quite high.

At night we browsed through many restaurants for dinner. Some were empty, some shady and some too expensive. In the end we headed back to the restaurant at Jan Palace, where the food was decent. Before we hit the bed, we noticed one more thing about Kargil (and it was to stay with us till Manali) - No Fan!!

Day 3, 1st July 2014, Tuesday : Our driver was at the hotel at 8 a.m. and we were soon heading out of Kargil. The town of Kargil lies in the Suru valley, beside the Suru river and dangerously close to the Line of Control. I asked Haji whether he was in Kargil during the war and he said yes. He then told us about the shelling that happened at Kargil market. The town was not evacuated during the time of the war.

Kargil, across Suru river

After crossing the Suru river, the road leads through a sandy plateau and then through a narrow gorge. Soon we reach Mulbekh, which has the Mulbekh Monastery with the huge figure of Maitreya Buddha (Future Buddha) carved on a stone. Here for the first time, we turned a huge prayer wheel - several times and clockwise.

Mulbekh Monastery

The road then climbs up to Namika La (Altitude : 12198 ft). It is a tradition for Ladakhis to tie prayer flags at places they regard as holy. Most of the passes we cross hence would have tons of prayer flags.

Namika La

Up we went from Namika La to Fotu La (Altitude : 13479 ft) - the highest pass of Srinagar-Leh Highway. It was here that for the first time, the feeling of insignificance hit us, while we were surrounded by these mammoth mountains. And never have we seen, so barren mountains in life. Barren and yet so majestic and beautiful!

Top : Road to Fotula; Bottom left : Fotula Top, Bottom right : View from Fotula

It was downhill from Fotu La, or rather down-mountain. We were soon at Lamayuru monastery, one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist Gompa of Ladakh. Lamayuru is actually situated up a hill and not right on NH 1D. As we descended from Lamayuru and started driving towards Leh again, we spotted the lunar landscape or moonland, as it is called. In fact, for it's sake, every other thing in that area has "Moon" prefixed to the name - be it Moon Land hotel, Moon guesthouse or Moonland restaurant.

Left (Top and Bottom) : Lamayuru Monastery; Right : Lunar Landscape

After crossing Lamayuru, weirdly, the mountains started to change color. It was something we had never seen before. From its usual ochre to green, pink, purple and what not! Don't believe me? Check out the pictures below. We passed bikers who waved when we waved. Sometimes they waved and we waved back. We started to understand how people come and unite in Ladakh. There is a sense of friendship and camaraderie that is synonymous to Ladakh.

We stopped for lunch at Khaltse. From there the road followed the Indus river, till we were on the famous straight road. The pitch dark road runs straight for few kilometres on a vast plain plateau.

Next came Nimmu, where the Indus meets the Zanskar river. This confluence or sangam is a striking view as the turquoise colored Indus merges with the mud color Zanskar. Next comes the Magnetic Hill. When you place the car in a box marked on the road adjacent to the hill and leave the car out off gear, it appears to move uphill. This however is an optical illusion. You can read about it here. Soon afterwards, along a flat plain landscape, comes the Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. The topography throughout this stretch is out-worldly.

The gompas of Alchi, Likir, Phyang and Spituk come on the way to Leh, but for each one of them one has to take a different road, thus diverting from NH 1D. The Phyang and Spituk monastery however can be glimpsed from the highway.

At one checkpoint we had to pay an Environmental Fee of Rs. 200 per person (and Rs. 300 for our French friend). It is a fee charged from Indians and foreigners entering Ladakh to protect the ecology and bio-diversity of Ladakh. Before entering Leh, we went through a large army camp. Leh, the capital of Ladakh, welcomed us with dark clouds hanging so low that we felt we can stretch our hands and poke them.

The landscape of Srinagar-Leh highway becomes more and more breathtaking as you travel from Srinagar to Leh. This is one more reason why one should enter Leh through this route and not leave by it.

*****************************************************************************Some tips for fellow travelers -
1. The Srinagar-Leh road generally remains open for traffic from early June to mid-November.

2. Only postpaid numbers of other states work in Jammu & Kashmir (unless you buy a prepaid from J&K which requires a lot of formalities). And after entering Ladakh, only BSNL and Airtel postpaids will work. In remote areas like Pangong only BSNL has coverage.

3. Try to avoid the Amarnath Yatra season. We however did not have an option as we wanted to attend the Hemis Festival, that's celebrated in and around the same time.4. Leave Srinagar as early as possible in the morning.5. Halt for the night at Kargil since it has more accommodation options. 6. Drink lots of water to curb the altitude sickness symptoms.7. Stock food and water in the car - That would help if the car unexpectedly breaks down at remote places.8. It is not advisable to drink or smoke at such high altitude until you are fully acclimatized.9. Liquor shops shut down for an entire month during Ramzan.10. Last but not the least, always help stranded travelers, if you pass any.Contact Numbers -

Sonam Tsering (Driver, Ladakh - one who got us in touch with Haji) - +919419372817

Nishar Bhai (Driver, Srinagar) - +919622900295

A big thanks to http://devilonwheels.com/! One hell of a site helping fellow travelers to find anything and everything they might need to know about Ladakh.********************************************************************************************************